Spirit to roll off lander mid-week
Posted: Mon, Jan 12, 2004, 1:18 PM ET (1818 GMT)
The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is set to roll onto the Martian terrain by early Thursday, project officials said on Sunday. The date of the rolloff has been moving around in recent days as engineers dealt with a problem retracting an airbag on the lander that will force the rover to move off the lander using an alternative ramp. Under the current schedule, the last cable connecting the rover to the lander will be severed on Monday night, and the rover will also rotate 45 degrees clockwise. On Tuesday night the rover will rotate an additional 50 degrees and, if photos find no problems with the movement, complete its rotation by shifting an additional 20-25 degrees. If all goes well the rover would move off the lander and onto the Martian surface on Wednesday night. The rover will move off the lander in the direction of a depression dubbed "Sleepy Hollow" by project scientists.
The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is set to roll onto the Martian terrain by early Thursday, project officials said on Sunday. The date of the rolloff has been moving around in recent days as engineers dealt with a problem retracting an airbag on the lander that will force the rover to move off the lander using an alternative ramp. Under the current schedule, the last cable connecting the rover to the lander will be severed on Monday night, and the rover will also rotate 45 degrees clockwise. On Tuesday night the rover will rotate an additional 50 degrees and, if photos find no problems with the movement, complete its rotation by shifting an additional 20-25 degrees. If all goes well the rover would move off the lander and onto the Martian surface on Wednesday night. The rover will move off the lander in the direction of a depression dubbed "Sleepy Hollow" by project scientists.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Space Force picks 14 companies for GEO surveillance program
Posted: Sat, Apr 11 10:34 AM ET (1434 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, April 20
Ovzon Launches Next-Generation Mobile Satellite Terminal – Ovzon T8
Ovzon — 5:39 am ET (0939 GMT) Musk’s SpaceX threatens to withhold mobile service from Australia
Australian Financial Review — 5:35 am ET (0935 GMT) Space Force looks to personnel growth to boost integrated testing approach
Aerospace America — 5:32 am ET (0932 GMT) Jeff Bezos’s rocket catches up with Elon Musk’s in space rivalry
The Daily Telegraph — 5:30 am ET (0930 GMT) Blue Origin Rocket Stumbles on First Commercial Mission
Wall Street Journal — 5:29 am ET (0929 GMT) |
